The Blue Beginning
by SilenceOfRain7
Summary: What happened after Father Fujimoto died? How did Rin cope with his new identity as a demon? Was Yukio there to comfort him or did he keep a cold distance? Takes place between Fujimoto's death and his funeral (and possibly beyond).
1. Chapter 1 - That Night

**AN2:** SUPRISE! Finally, after a long-awaited update, I have added more than 1,000 words to Chapter 1! I think it's about time for this story to graduate from being a work-in-progress to a finished piece! The newest chapter will be up, don't worry ^-^ Well, I hope you enjoy this! I also want to say THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE KIND WORDS, SUPPORT, AND LOVE THAT THIS STORY HAS GOTTEN! Wilhelm Wigworthy, fhdkjsafhd jakshfdjkhfk (man, _that _was a pain in the ass to type! Lol), anacor51, InfinatePanicAttacks33, Kakashi Attacke, Ghostwriter (whomever you are:P), Sora Labyrinth, tanithhh, careless7, ladynarutochan, snowy1219 (you've contribute so much^-^), random person, Anon, SuperiorDimwit (and so have you:D), Otaku1o1, Charred-Bones, and Xiandao, THANK YOU!

**AN: **Hello fanfiction! This is my first attempt at a story, so don't judge too harshly. ^-^ I have looked for an AnE fanfic that told the story of what happened between the time Father Fujimoto died and when they had his funeral, (because we all know what happened after that.) After a while of searching (and only finding some that didn't correspond with the manga/anime), I decided to make my own! So this is my take on how Rin adjusted to becoming a demon and dealing with Fujimoto's death. I will also probably add Yukio in a little OOC of how he helps Rin adjust (because I love brotherly fluff moments!), but nothing is for certain. (There will be absolutely NO yaoi.) I may decide to make Yukio cold and distant and have Rin try to figure this out by himself. Idk I'm not that far yet. But I _have_ written a few short chapters in advance so don't worry (too much) about updates – I'm not abandoning this story anytime soon! I apologize that the chapters won't be very long, but I am a slow writer so you will have to bear with me ^-^

**Summary:** What happened after Father Fujimoto died? How did Rin cope with his new identity as a demon? Was Yukio there to comfort him or did he keep a cold distance? Takes place between Fujimoto's death and his funeral (and possibly beyond).

**Disclaimer:** I do not own AnE, and I'll be damned if I did!

"Screw that!" I threw the duffle bag, which contained a few of my possessions that were roughly shoved inside, to the ground in a fit of anger. I glared at Father Fujimoto, who was holding a blue katana he had called the Koma sword. My chest was huffing in anger and my hands quivered in tight fists by my sides. What the hell is wrong with him?! Demons this and demons that?! Where did _this _come from! Demons don't even _exist!_ Even though I had concrete proof that this must be _something_ supernatural, I still couldn't wrap my head around this! Then he spewed crap about how _I'm _a demon!

I remembered what he told me that shook me to my core. He had just saved me from a… demon – yes, I have to start accepting that this is real – that had possessed a teen who was a complete ass. I remembered the absolute _terror_ of seeing blue flames shoot from my body and lick at my fingertips. It had felt like the fire was drawing away the oxygen in the air around me, and my chest ached. Then I remembered how Fujimoto had acted as if he had expected nothing else – he didn't even seem fazed that I was on _fire_. Without any hesitations, or even any fear, he had quickly exercised the evil spirit out of the other boy, who then fell unceremoniously to the ground with a generous _thunk._

_I remained trembling on the ground, staring with wide eyes at my dad and the now unconscious white-haired jerk. The strange blue flames had almost disappeared, and it took everything I had not to think about them, lest I freak myself out further. _

_I pointed to the boy and worriedly asked, "Is he going to be all right?" He hardly seemed like he was breathing. _

_My dad signed and cast a quick glance in his direction. "Yes, he will be, for now, but he will be prone to demon corruption in the future, since his soul is not pure. Now come, we have to hurry – we'll be safe at the monostary!" _

But what had been absolutely mind-numbing was when he said that _I _was a demon. His exact words will forever remain with me in my darkest memories: _"You are a demon born of a human, but you are not just any demon… you are the bastard son of Satan himself."_

I was still digesting what he had said, and couldn't find myself to believe it. Hell, I didn't _want_ to believe it. People have called me a demon for as long as I can remember, but there was something about my own dad saying it that really shoved the stake further into my heart. I mean, he couldn't have meant it… could he?

But as I gazed at him standing in front of me, waiting for me to do something, (namely pick up the duffle bag), I could tell he was completely serious about this. His eyes did not waver, whereas I could not get mine to stop.

The pain in my chest kept on rising like a broken floodgate, overwhelming me and drowning my heart. Am I really just a demon, then? To the _whole world, _including my own _father?! _Is this what he thought of me this whole time?

It hurt. It hurt so damn much. Why? Why me? What did _I _ever do to deserve this? The lump in my throat was painfully tight. That one question was a scream in my head. _Why?!_

"What is this all of a sudden?! Demon this and demon that! What about Yukio?!"

My dad dipped his head slightly, answering softly but firmly. "You were the only one who inherited the power of the blue flames. Since Yukio was the smaller twin, his body was too weak and small to sustain it, so it went to you alone."

So that's why I was so much stronger than him? Everything was making sense… Everything was making _too much _sense, because there are just some truths that are absolute, and questioning them would be lie in of itself. I felt angry, but coating over everything else like a thick syrup, I felt betrayed. I couldn't keep the hurt out of my voice, and I'm sure Dad heard it too. "B-but why didn't you tell me about this sooner? Why wait to tell me _now_?!"

He looked up at me with steely eyes. "Because I wanted to raise you as a normal human child, Rin, and I couldn't do that if you knew the truth."

My jaw was strained from clenching it. "Oh, so that's it, huh? As soon as I'm not human anymore you just kick me out?!"

He tried to reach out to me, like he wanted to give me _comfort_ or something – or like he was trying to make a vain attempt at quelling my anger. "It was for your protection!"

"Oh, save me the sob story! You never really wanted me! I was too much trouble compared to Yukio… Admit it! You just don't want to put up with this shit anymore!"

"Rin–"

"_Don't ever pretend to be my father again!"_

A sharp _smack _echoed throughout the room. My head was knocked sideways, and my cheek stung almost as much as my eyes. Suddenly, all of my anger dissipated as if it were hot steam. Cold – just coldness and numbness was left. Fujimoto was no exception, though – it was as if all of my anger had condensed on him. "Do as I say, and go get your things _now!_" His eyes could have been reminiscent of glints of frozen steel.

"Fine…" I forced out between my teeth. It was silent briefly as I turned around to sluggishly pick up the damned duffle bag, but it was promptly interrupted by a sharp gasp by my father. I heard his knees thunk against the wooden floor. He was gripping his chest as if he was in pain. "Hey… are you alright?" I asked tentatively.

"_Stay back!_" He ground out of his throat. Never before had I heard this amount of authority come from him before. My heart beat a little faster. _What was wrong with him?_

"W-what's wrong?" Should I go get help?

"_Get away from me! Go!" _I was dumbstruck. Was he an idiot?! I can't just _leave _him here!

"Hold on, jiji!" I quickly knelt next to him, ready to support him if it was necessary, but as soon as my father looked up at me, my blood started to flow like platinum in my veins.

Because those were not my father's eyes.

Curiously, Fujimoto gazed up at me, before cracking open a malicious grin.

My breath caught in my throat.

"**_Ahahahaha!_**" Blue flames – now all too familiar blue flames – burst from his body like a caged phoenix. The brilliant flames swirled and danced as if being released from a long-held prison. My legs felt like cotton, and I collapsed to the ground with the blue-clad figure was now looming over me.

His mad grin almost seemed to split his face. "**Ah, my dear son! How I have ****_waited _****for this moment! How have you been? You should feel ****_grateful _****that I came all the way here to see you! Ahahahaha!" **I had backed up against the wall, quivering like a kitten.

"A-are you… a… d-demon?" Too much. This was too much for one day. Hell, I would _gladly _choose being hospitalized rather than dealing with _this_.

"**What? Don't recognized me, boy?**" He sneered. His eyes, ears, and nose also had a steady flow of almost-black liquid running from them, all of which were altered in some demonic-looking way. "**I am Satan, Lord of Gehenna and your ****_true _****father! But you can call me ****_daddy _****if you like! Ahahaha!**"

My breath was stuck in my throat, as if someone had lodged clay in my mouth.

Satan signed dramatically, then proceeded to grip Fujimoto's fingers with of of his hands. "**As much as I love this charming reunion, I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut it short – this body won't last too much longer, I'm afraid.**" A sickening crunch and a wet tearing noise followed shortly after. A strangled gasp escaped my lips as Satan's – no, my _dad's _– fingers were ripped apart. Blood gushed from his crushed hand, sloshing and sloppily cascading to the floor. The blood began to boil, as if under immense heat, and black steam began to twist and curl up from the floorboards. Seeming to follow a well-defined path, my dad's blood smoothly and efficiently worked on coating the floor. Chittering from what sounded like beetles or bugs and high-pitched laughing started to echo out from the blood-pool. My eyes darted back and forth as what looked like a giant gate was starting to materialize. The border of this black portal seemed to me alive as well, slowly and lazily blinking open its eyes. I hastily stumbled to my feet as the gate spread.

"**I am the only one capable of making this, you know.**" His laugh came out as a garbled chuckle. "**The Gehenna Gate**."

He turned to me, seeming to enjoy my shell-shocked expression. "**Well, let's go to Gehenna**!" Now I was frantic, alarm bells ringing in all departments of my head. Satan scooped up the Kona Sword, gripping it with a certain degree of hatred. "**I should destroy this, and release you from its damnable spell!**"

I was shaking, with fear or rage I wasn't sure anymore. Just who the _fuck _did this guy think he was?! "_Stay back!_" I cired. Blue flames, akin to the ones Fujimoto was wearing on his skin, weakly blazed on _my _skin. I couldn't care less, though. This bastard was going to get it!

"**Aha – ahaha… ****_Ahahahaha!_**" His hysterical laughter picked up in speed as my apprehension grew. "**What the hell was ****_that?! _****Did you just piss your pants or something?! Come on – enough of this bullshit! It's time to reclaim your true nature! Ahahaha!**" His clawed hand firmly grasped my hood, dragging me behind him.

"L-let me go! I'm _human!_" My gaze shot to the mirror that was reflecting the utter chaos in the room. Demons of all shapes and sizes were fluttering or squirming around the Gate, the walls were blood-splattered and charred in places, and a raven-haired, fifteen year-old boy was ablaze in blue flames, sporting crimson red pupils and increasingly sharp canines.

Wait… was that… _me?! _The boy in the mirror widened his eyes in horror, copying what I assume my own expression showed. No… it can't be… So I really am a…

"**I am a perfect being as the master of Gehenna! There is a drawback, however – nothing in Assiah is equal to me, so everything I possess is bound to perish! But soon, Assiah will be mine!**" With a brute amount of strength, he threw me into the mass of black that served at the middle of the Gehenna Gate. "**Even though I made you on a whim, it worked out perfectly! You have the God of Gehenna in your veins, yet you exist here in Assiah! If I am to lay claim to this world, I need ****_you_****!**"

My voice became a shrill cry that sharply cut across all of the other chaos. "Somebody help me!" The moaning of beasts, the cackling of monsters. The black churning mass of the Gate sucked at my arms and legs, willing me to give in and be pulled under. My heart was pounding madly, frantically pumping adrenaline and fear throughout my limbs. I could feel my fingers shaking.

**"****Ahahaha! The cry of a newborn! Happy birthday, my son!"** The dark cackle that tore past my father's lips was inhuman, and the blood that ran in his throat was wildly spit up in dark bubbles.

"No…" The voice of Father Fujimoto was quiet, but it seemed to outweigh all other noise in the room. My vision was blurry as I looked up at his body, which was hunched over and still. "He's _my _son…" His hand slowly reached up to clutch the red and blue cross charm that hung from a chain around his neck.

**"****Wh-what are you doing, you damn exorcist!"** Satan's marred voice screeched. The exorcist's hand raised in front of himself, and the long, metal spike was positioned above his heart.

"I'm taking him back!" The air was so still I could hear the spike being forcefully shoved into my dad's chest. My heart beat slow and hard, making my eyes hot. A small cry escaped my lips as I struggled to breathe in, while my body instinctively backed away in horror.

The priest crumpled face-first into the same pit he had control over a few seconds ago, and like everything else, it started to suck him in too.

I snapped out of my haze and roughly wrapped my arms around him, trying to pull him away from the sticky mass. "Dad!" Nothing I did was working, and he slipped farther and farther into the Gate. "Somebody help!" What can I do?! _What can I do?! _

Hesitantly I drew my eyes to the item that has been sitting on the sidelines, waiting, silent, but had a heavy presence.

The Koma sword.

It sat there, innocently. I dreaded looking at it, because inside I knew it contained a demon, but not just any demon, it contained _me. I _was the demon in the sword. My Dad's voice drifted back to me. _"Never draw the sword. If you do, your demonic nature will emerge. Demons of all species will be after you and you will never live as a human again." _My bottom lip trembled with fear.

But then I remembered what demons possess that humans don't – _strength._

Determination filled my belly with fire, and I stared at the sword as if to say, _"Bring it on!"_

I gripped the pattern-wrapped hilt in my clammy hands, and used its weight to try to draw myself and Father Fujimoto up higher out of the pit. Memories resurfaced in my mind from earlier today of when I told him I had grown up. "Damn it, jiji." I growled as I gripped the scabbard with one hand and the hilt with the other. "I haven't shown you anything yet!"

Flames erupted around me in a burst of heat and light, melting the world as I knew it in a haze of azure.


	2. Chapter 2 - Awakening

**AN2: **Hey guys! I added another 50 words or so to this shortie in hopes to take you inside Rin's mind a little more. The update for the first chapter will be up in the next week hopefully. ^-^ Don't forget to review! I love to hear what you have to say!

**AN: **Hello everyone! I first want to say THAAAANK YOOOOU for those who posted reviews and followed and favorite! The support is MUCH appreciated! And to answer a few questions, I am having this follow pretty close (or as close as I can get) to the actual story, so Rin just figured out he was a demon that night. So unfortunately, this won't really be an AU. And yes, I am very particular on grammar! (It's one of my quirks). I will try to post new material fast because I know how infuriating it is when the story abruptly stops (and when it's so good too)! Well, here is the second chapter! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **AnE is not mine. (I really don't know why everyone puts this, it's obviously fanfiction (hence the site!) but I just see everyone else do this and I figured I guess I should too. I mean, I don't want to get sued or anything :P)

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Chapter 2 - Awakening

I screamed in pain as the fire ripped through my body. Every muscle became tense and hot, and my knuckles were white around my grip on the Koma sword. My jaw trembled when my teeth felt like they were getting pulled, and my ears felt like they were tearing off of my head. My vision became red for a few seconds, and increasingly sharp nails were pressing into my palms.

Then the worst part came, one that I was never ready for. At the base of my tailbone, it felt like someone had cut a hole in my flesh and dug hot fingers into it, pulling my spine out in the process. I could feel the vertebrae multiplying and stretching, thinning as it got longer. I gripped the sword harder. My skin stretched with the bones, and new muscle fibers were being created at an alarmingly fast rate. Fur quickly sprouted all over the new skin, leaving it feel raw.

The blue fire was a dull roar as it became alive for the first time. I roared with it. I could _feel_ the strength surging, and let loose a feral snarl, a noise that I never thought I could make. It didn't even sound human.

My rapid vision immediately recognized the Gate, and my eyes filled with hate. Bringing the glowing blade above me, I let loose another battle cry as I brought the sword down. The Gehenna Gate erupted in blue flames, dissolving in the intensity of my rage. The slimy, chipping pillars quickly melted like candle wax, and the ghouls in the pit turned to dust in the blaze. The tug of the Gate lessened, no longer tugging at my feet with the conviction it had once before. Eventually, the feeling disappeared altogether.

The flames in the air disintegrated the remaining demons, and the only things that moved were the blue flames that still played on my clothes and the powdery ash that still quivered in the air. As if someone had pulled a power plug, I felt my strength start to give out. I shakily fell to my knees, drawing in deep, heavy breaths. The scabbard to the sword lay discarded a little ways from me, and I gently grabbed it and carefully slid the sword back inside.

I became aware of red in the corner of my vision; red that was slowing becoming a larger and larger puddle underneath someone I had known all of my life. Every muscle in me was taut as I stared at my dad, slowly becoming cold and stiff on the ground.

My dad was dead. My dad was dead and it was all my fault!

Immediately my eyes started to burn and itch, and the charred walls that surrounded me became watery. There was pressure behind my forehead that increased by the second, making it feel like someone was pressing against my skull from the inside-out. My throat closed up, briefly blocking my airway, and I couldn't help the small whimpers that escaped my mouth. I gritted my teeth as hot tears now flowed freely on my cheeks. My forehead rested against the sword, and I squeezed my eyes shut as if to block everything out. "Oh, dad…" I choked out.

The world was quiet. _My_ world was quiet. I felt alone, utterly and completely alone. And terrified. So, so, incredibly_ terrified. _Why? Why did this have to happen? What did I do wrong? Why did dad have to die? Why did I have to be a demon? _Why? _

I bowed my head even further, tasting the warm salt as it trickled down my cracked lips. Somebody, please help… _please._

"Rin?" I instantly recognized the voice of my brother. Yukio? _Oh, shit. _Panic instantly rushed through my veins as I hunkered down even more and didn't look up.

Through my sputters of breath, I heard him gasp and heard his boots knock against the hard floor as he ran to Father Fujimoto. "Oh my God…" I heard him whisper. I opened my eyes enough to see through my bangs and found Yukio staring at me, distraught. "What happened?" His voice was soft and gentle, but I knew he demanded an answer.

The pressure of the atmosphere became increasingly heavier after only a few seconds, and instead of words, I only managed to make a strangled sound. I could see my own pain reflected in my brother's eyes along with his own. I started to shake my head, my fear increasing; I couldn't take it anymore, not with Yukio's pressing gaze. I had to get out of here.

I grabbed the sword and bolted into the back halls, running away from my brother's shouts and wanting to run away from the memories of what had happened. This was too much, this was all too much.

__What do I do?__


	3. Chapter 3 - Changes

**AN: **I will continuously thank you for the constructive criticism and the encouragement! It's as fun to get reviews as it is to write the story! I apologize that the chapters aren't nearly as long as I would like them to be ( it also irritates me when chapters are too short) but I am working on pulling my Spanish grade up so my hope is to slowly have the chapters get longer. And also! Add in the comments what YOUR opinion is regarding Rin's future emotional struggle and his relationship with Yukio (as well as what you think might happen during this time). I have a vague outline in my head but any good ideas will be thought over! Like, what would you want to see happen in the story and such? Anything in particular? (Oh, and FYI, I do not write yaoi. Fluffy moments, probs, but not the gross why-is-this-happening stuff.) Leave in the comments what you think of it so far too!

**Disclaimer**: AnE not mine

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Chapter 3 - Changes

The hot tears that cascaded down my face were a sharp contrast against the icy wind that turned my nose and ears red. My breath was steamy puffs in front of my face. I ran out of the backroom window of the monastery without looking back. I burst off of the church grounds and pelted down the front sidewalk, not caring if someone was in my way or not – it wasn't like I saw them anyways.

The first place that came to my mind was the park, my safe haven. The place was dark and everything was lit with dim yellow street posts, casting odd shadows in my familiar place. The swings hardly moved in the slight wind as I quickly approached them, but I wouldn't be sitting on them today – it was too open. I headed straight for the tree-line instead, opting for the dark cover of the stiff leaves.

I headed far enough into the trees where I wouldn't be spotted by anyone but close enough to the light from the lamps. Everything slowed down as I softly pressed my quivering hand against the trunk of a tree.

I let the sword gently drop to the ground as I used that hand to bring it up over my eyes. I knew it would be useless to try to wipe away the tears, because the longer I had my eyes pressed against my sleeve the wetter it became.

Eventually though my eyes ran dry and just resorted to a dull ache. I sniffed and wiped the remaining moisture from my eyelashes, but my breath still stubbornly hitched every once in a while.

I kept still because I had never truly forgotten what I had felt when I drew the sword. I was afraid, I admit it, afraid of what I would find if I opened my eyes. I shivered as the cold wind blew against the back of my neck. I was denying the unenviable by not opening my eyes, but I knew that delaying it would not change anything.

I gently peeled my eyes open and found myself staring at nothing but the bark of the tree. For a second the simplicity of it drew my attention away from my racing thoughts, but it quickly snapped back to the topic at hand. I took my hand off of the tree and timidly reached up to my ears. I almost recoiled the moment they touched, but made myself continue.

They were pointy. The tops of my ears were no longer rounded like they had been my whole life – now they were flat on the top and rounded just at the bottom.

I opened my jaw and pressed my tongue against my teeth. I winced when the unusually sharp canines poked a hole in my tongue, making it bleed a little. They were pointed too… like a monsters. Like a _demon's._

I almost jumped when I felt something press against my legs; I almost forgot about that. When I swiveled my head around to look behind me, I almost didn't see it. It was black, thin, long, and fuzzy. It slowly waved behind me, and the light gave the fur sheen. I could hardly feel it – if I wouldn't have felt it actually forming I would have not thought it belonged to me.

But it did, and that was the worst part. What kind of freak has a _tail?!_

If this was a part of me now, so it had to be addressed. I reached behind me, making a grab for the appendage, and it flicked away before I could lay a finger on it. It was almost like it had a mind of its own. It hovered just out of my range, so I reached around my other side and made a grab for it again, but it twitched the other way. Irritated, I made a grab at it with both of my hands, but when they connected behind my back, both were free of anything. It had hitch-hiked up my back.

Maybe I was drawing it out longer than I should have, because I knew a sure-fire way to get to it without it escaping. It was common logic.

Just grab the base.

I felt a wave of disgust rise in my throat when my fingers finally made contact with it. It was flush against my tailbone and extended directly outwards. The moment my normal skin connected with it, it became furry. To my surprise, it was soft like a cat's. And the strangest thing about it was I could _feel _myself touching it. I could feel, from _it,_ something that shouldn't be there at all, my own touch, my own soft, timid touch. It was very sensitive, but it was stiff and sturdy. The most memorable feature on it though was the fluffy puff at the tip where it curved into a hard spiral. I gently stroked the long fur at the end; it was softer than the stalk.

Hate immediately rushed through me again as yet _another_ physical thing made it obvious I was a demon. Come on, how obvious can you get?! In a flash of blind rage, I gripped hard on the base of the tail and gave a hard yank.

The pain was immediate and tears sprang into my eyes. I gasped and resisted the urge to scream. I crumpled down on the ground, clutching my backside, unable to stop the pain. It coursed all throughout my body, but it was most immediate in my spine.

As I took deep breaths, I told myself I would _never _do that again voluntarily, no matter _how _much I hated it.

Just as things started to quell down again, my extra-sensitive hearing picked up on a dim rustling coming from the direction of the swings, and I froze in fear. The tail… no, _my _tail wrapped tightly around my waist as if trying to hide. I stopped breathing and just listened.

My fear intensified when the noise suddenly stopped mid-rustle. Whoever was out there knew I was here too.

A soft voice gently called out. "Rin?"

Probably the one person who I couldn't face right now had found me. Yukio.


	4. Chapter 4 - Found

**AN: **Lol sorry guys I posted the wrong chapter! For anyone who read that one and was confused this is the missing piece! My bad :P Anyways, so sorry for the long wait! Truly, I am really sorry! I kinda had writer's block but was thinking of plot ideas all the same! (I feel like Kakashi with all of his excuses for being late! ^-^) Anyways, I decided to update my main page (or whatever it's called) very frequently to let you guys know I am still here and how much progress I have made. So check that if I haven't posted a new chapter in a while. There is also new news on the story as well if you want to know! Well, thank you to those who reviewed and those who follow and favorite! It's _very _much appreciated! Well, enjoy the next chapter! And sorry it's short! The next one is like 1,500 though:)

**Disclaimer: **AnE not mine

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Chapter 4 - Found

My first thought was, _Oh, crap _because how was I supposed to explain the black tail wrapped around my waist? A brilliant idea sprang into my mind on how to keep my tail a secret. Well, if it wanted to be wrapped around me waist, then so be it. I quietly pulled up my hoodie and shirt and let the appendage, which I still had no control over, make its way around my bare stomach.

I shivered at the unfamiliar feeling, but at the same time, it was like someone was giving me a hug. It was warm and snug against my waist, and somehow made me feel more secure than I had before. When the rustling picked up again, I quickly yanked my hoodie down.

"Rin?" Yukio called out again, this time a little louder.

My thoughts were racing. _What do I say to him? What will he think of me?_ _What-_

"There you are." He interrupted my thoughts. I hastily spun around to find my brother, standing in a break in the trees, half covered in brush. The light reflected off of his glasses, making it impossible for me to see his eyes.

"I… I…" My tongue couldn't form any words as I stared at him blankly.

"Come on," he walked up and gently grabbed my hand, tugging me with him. (He obviously knew that I wouldn't have voluntarily followed him). "Everyone at the monastery is waiting; we need all the help we can get getting the injured to safety and getting the majority of the rubble cleared away." He then swooped down and gently picked up the Koma sword with his other hand while I silently stared ahead. I _did _notice how his jaw clenched as he gripped the sword harder, though.

I numbly followed after him, my feet dragging, as I dreaded approaching my childhood home. The whole way back he hadn't let go of my hand, leading me back like I was a troublesome toddler. That wouldn't have been that big of an overstatement either, considering my eyes were downcast and Yukio was devoid of expression. I could tell his back was stiff, though, the way it always is when he is distraught.

The morning sun slowly cast creamy, pastel light over the scorched house. There were injured outside laying in the grass, and medical personal were flitting about them like bees scoring over different flowers. Two people carried a cracked, blackened board out of the front door.

Once we passed through the gate, he let go of my hand. I finally found my words, although they were small and dim. "What did you tell them?" I mumbled. They obviously couldn't have told regular people that it was a demon attack, and it would have been outright stupid if no one had noticed this.

Yukio responded clearly and with authority, disregarding my lack of voice. He had not faced me this entire time. "A gas leak started in the kitchen and erupted when it reached the candle flames in the main hall." The reason was simple but effective – a story anyone could believe.

I clenched my fists. "And what about…"

I couldn't finish, but he knew what I was going to say. "The funeral will be in a week, once all of this stuff is cleaned up." A breeze rustled my brother's hair as he walked away and into the monastery doors.


	5. Chapter 5 - Nightmare

**AN2: **This is an update I made to this chapter thanks to SuperiorDimwit! Thanks for helping me beat my story into shape! I had extra time in class, since it is finals week, so I was like, "What the hell? Might as well write!"

**AN: **Hiiiii guys! This is my longest chapter yet! :D So, I am working on both the story and going back and adding more material. (When I write it for the first time, I'm like, damn, this is pretty good! But then I go back over it and realize that half of the details that were in my head were still in my head, and it is then when I go back and add more.) I will post on my page if I update a previous chapter and which one it will be. Thank you to all of my followers and to the people who favorited my story! Review to let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer: **AnE not mine

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Chapter 5 - Nightmare

I couldn't go back in the hall – not yet – so instead I decided to help out with the manual labor outside. The exercise momentarily served to distract me from the events earlier this morning, and I was immensely grateful to that.

But the feeling was never gone completely, no matter _how_ engrossed in the work I made myself become. The atmosphere was heavy and solemn, and you really can't ignore the fact that it is your own house debris you are picking up…

Apparently Yukio and my extended family had sought out help from one of the smaller monasteries that branched off from ours. This one was appropriately named Secondary Southern Cross Boys' Monastery. I have seen some of their faces before, but I hardly knew them.

But apparently they knew me.

Whispers of hushed voices brushed my ears, teasing me into listening. I glanced slightly in the direction of the talking and found two of the monastery men from the secondary branch whispering feverishly behind their hands.

"… was really possessed my Satan then?"

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it, though; he always had an iron will."

Their whispering became more hushed and intense, and I wasn't sure if I was happy or upset that my hearing now seemed much stronger than before. Their words barley reached my ears even though they were about fifteen feet away, but they did all the same.

"So what about Rin? Did he really…?"

"Yeah, I could tell he was pretty broken up about it, so don't bring it up around him."

"_And _he saw Father Fujimoto killed right in front of him. That's got to be tough."

I felt my spirits sink even further as my bangs created a dark curtain over my eyes.

A third monastery man approached them, also deciding to join in in the conversation. At this point they cast a few glances at me, and it was then when I realized that I had just been standing there, probably with a vacant expression on my face, as I absorbed what they said. I quickly scooped up a few pieces of shingles and moved them over to a different pile, but I stayed within hearing range.

"Are you talking about Okumura-kun?" The third man glanced at me and I caught it in my peripherals. "I'm surprised he can work after everything that just happened…"

"He's probably just trying to get his mind off of it."

I flinched. Was it _that_ obvious?

"Anyways," the newest member of the group continued, "I also heard that he _just_ figured out about demons a few hours before… you know… _he_ figured out he was a –"

My shaking fingers wouldn't let me hold the wood anymore and it harshly dropped on top of the pile.

How… how did _they _know about this?! Did they see? Could they just tell by _looking _at me?

… Did they already know?

I dug my fingers into my hair. No, they couldn't have. Hell, _I _didn't even know. They wouldn't have lied about this to me, they just _wouldn't._

But somehow they did. I panicked and tried to find Yukio amongst the random workers. I finally spotted him, giving the adults orders like _he _was the superior. Since when was he this confident about anything?

I gazed back at the whispering men, willing them to shut up. Please, just _shut up! _ My brother can_not _know about this; I will not burden him with this, too.

Their whispering became quieter, and I realized that they took notice of my clenched fists, which were shaking slightly.

The newest member moved to the other side of one of the men, farther away from me. "Are you sure he's safe? What if he-"

"Shut up, baka!" The first man hissed. "That's not for us to decide! Father Fujimoto told us to just keep our distance if there was a threat! Remember?"

I sucked in a breath as an old memory resurfaced.

_I was small, hiding behind the doorway, listening into the conversation dad was having with some other men. _

_"I know he is very strong, but just treat him like any other normal human boy."_

I had no idea what he was talking about back then, but now I knew. I knew _exactly _what he was talking about.

I gritted my teeth against the feelings of pain and anger that rose in me again. I couldn't take it anymore – I hurriedly rushed past the three bewildered men and through the monastery doors, going to seek refuge in the confines of my bedroom.

As I hurried away from the door, I heard a smack and a muffled, "Ow!"

One of them said, "Nice going, dumbass! He probably heard everything you just said!"

There was a mumbled, "Sorry…" before I was completely out of range.

I knew what was in front of me – the crushed pews, the charred walls, the browning blood – and purposefully averted my gaze. My feet swiftly took me into the narrow hallway that would lead me to my room. I tried not to breathe in the smell of sulfur that had soaked into the walls.

In the corner of my eye I spotted Nagato, writing a damage report in a little book. He stopped writing when he saw me, and his gaze softened. "Rin, what's wrong?"

I gritted my teeth. What the hell do you _think _is wrong?! When I glanced into his eyes, I saw sympathy. By breath stuck in my throat. I didn't need his pity! Why can't everyone just leave me _alone!_

I quickly slipped past my door and quietly closed it, standing there for a little bit with my hand resting on the doorknob. I took a deep breath and turned to face my room.

It looked exactly the same as it ever did. I don't know what I expected to be different; my bed was still against the wall, messy covers and pillow sideways as usual; there were more clothes on my floor than in my closet; and candy wrappers and Band-Aids still cleverly avoided the trash can.

I slowly slipped off my shoes, not bothering to untie them, and nudged them to the side with my foot. Shuffling across the floor, I sank down on top of my covers and buried my face in my pillow. I don't know how long I laid on my stomach, staring at nothing, but eventually the light coming in from the window became dimmer and dimmer. I don't even remember falling asleep.

_I was in the mass hall, but it was dark and cold. Usually it is cheerily lit with a mix of overly-bright fluorescent lights and gentle candle flames, but the wicks were black and shriveled and the bulbs were dead. A soft, distant light was coming in from the stain-glass, though, and it didn't look right. _

_I approached a particular stained-glass panel and carefully observed the angelic faces of the saints. The pale light caused their painted features to wash and fade, making the colored glass look almost ancient. _

_The glass quivered. I took a step back and watched the glass appear to melt from behind. My strong heartbeat became second to the dull roar behind the wall that seemed to get closer and louder. _

_I watched as the saints' faces and robes became tinged with an azure blue, and I felt the heat leak into the cold room I was in. The paint and glass melted, creating tears that cascaded down their frozen faces. _

_The panels bowed inwards, allowing a few seconds of tense silence, before they all burst outwards towards me. The glass shattered into a million little colorful shards that wedged into my skin and flew into my hair. I screamed as blue flame blew into my face and lapped at my body, but I quickly figured out it wasn't hot. The flames took an instant liking to me, and started playing on my fingers and perched on my shoulders. _

_I abruptly turned away from the broken window, which was still blowing in flames, and was faced with a full-length mirror instead. All I could do was stare._

_My ears were very long and pointed, and two particularly large clumps of blue flames stayed put on my head… like horns. My slightly agape mouth revealed sharp, dangerous teeth and my fingernails were chiseled to points. A long, black tail with the end set ablaze with blue fire swished behind me like an angry cat's. _

_Suddenly Father Fujimoto was behind me, but he too shared demonic characteristics. His voice was taunting and cold, so unlike my real dad's. "What's wrong? Gehenna is waiting, my son! You _are _a demon, after all! Hahahaha!" His piercing laughter cracked the mirror, and at the same time, I sank to the ground, covering my ears, trying to shut out the rest of the world._

_He screeched, "Demon!"_

I gasped sharply and jolted in bed. I blinked a few times against the soft sunlight floating through the window and stiffly brought up my hand to rub crusties out of my eyes. A soft fleece blanket was carefully wrapped around me; I knew it wasn't mine since I was laying on my covers. Roughly sitting up, I gazed ahead, trying to work through the morning fog in my mind.

I scratched my head and wondered why I had fallen asleep on top of my real covers, and why I was still in my clothes.

Wait, my clothes… I stared harder at the few spots that were stiff and brown.

Was that _blood?_

Ice bloomed in me as I thought back to my dream. It _was_ a dream, wasn't it? I cradled my forehead in my hands, trying to separate my dream from what was reality. I remembered what I had looked like in the mirror. I had long ears, fangs, and sharp nails. Sleepy-eyed, I examined my flat, chewed fingernails, rubbed my tongue over my jagged (but not sharp) teeth, and confirmed that my ears were _not _six inches long.

I sat there for a minute, getting the feeling I was missing something. I sat there for a minute, recalling back the mental image. Finally it came to me.

Yes, I remember I had a _tail_ for some stupid reason. A smile tried to form on my lips; surely my _lack_ of a tail will prove it was a dream, right? And the blood? From a street-fight, of course! I smiled a little more. Ha! Once I prove I absolutely _don't_ have a tail, everything will be fine! I'll go tell Yukio and dad about my crazy dream then I'll probably have to cook breakfast.

…

I sat there, still smiling like an idiot, but why didn't I reach behind me to confirm what I was slowly and increasingly believing was a dream? Was it because it was just so _stupid_ to check to see if I had a freakin' _tail?_ Or was it because…

I snorted. 'Rin Okumura, you do not possibly believe you have a tail, do you?'

I shifted uncomfortably. 'No…'

'Then stop jerking around and –'

'Okay! Okay!' Grumbling to myself I fished around in the blankets behind me. I was feeling pretty cocky until…

I clenched my jaw.

I was gripping something soft, slender, and warm. Gently pulling it out from the covers, I laid it across my lap. It lay there twitching under my scrutinizing gaze.

I would like to say that I said something like, "Well, no matter how bad it gets, you can pull through it." Or, "No use crying over something you can't change." But in reality, I really only thought one thing.

_Well, fuck._


	6. Chapter 6 - Rice Balls

**AN: **Heeeeyyyy guys... SO SORRY IT TOOK THIS LONG! *Scratches back of head* XD But anyways, I, while also working through some plot ideas, have been trying to recover from spring fever. It is really driving me nuts right now, with only a couple of days left of school due to stupid snow days (which I admit were awesome at the time!) But really though, I am determined to continue this story, no matter how long it takes me! Hopefully now that school is out I will have more time to write:D And thank you to all of my followers and supporters - if I thought no one liked the story the chapters would probably just stay on my computer! It's awesome to receive reviews, especially all of the ones I have got, which are FREAKEN AWESOME I might add:) Well, this chapter is a little on the fluff side with no major plot points, but I promise though that the next chapter will be more eventful. :)

**Disclaimer: **AnE _still _not mine

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Chapter 6 - Rice Balls

There was a soft knock at my door, and my tail stiffened on my lap. I roughly pulled the covers over my legs and my stubborn new friend, already knowing who was there. I didn't need to even say anything – he would come in anyways.

Almost a few seconds after he knocked, Yukio came in slowly, holding a plate with a couple of rice balls on them.

I looked at them sourly. "I'm not hungry…" I mumbled.

He quietly sighed. "I already expected that much, so that's just why I brought you rice. You need to eat something, nii-san." He added when he saw me shake my head. "You're gonna get sick if you don't." He set the plate on the corner of my bed, standing in the middle of my room awkwardly.

I nervously looked up at my younger twin, who seemed to be staring at nothing. The sun from the window created a film of light over his glasses, preventing me from seeing his eyes. "Um, hey… Yukio-"

"Please eat at least one of them, Rin."

He swiftly left my room, leaving behind his cold aura. I visibly deflated as I sunk deeper into my covers. _How much longer was he going to avoid talking to me? Why is he doing this? _I rested my forehead on one of my hands, thinking.

One particular thought made my gut cramp. What if… what if he blamed _me _for the old-man's death? Would he really do that? He _has _been acting strange around me… My face scrunched up. _Does he hate me now?_

I sighed as I got up from my bed, pushing the rice balls to the side. Just the thought of _smelling _them made my stomach churn. Maybe a nice shower would serve good to calm my nerves. I already smelled gross enough… like dirt, and sweat… and blood…

Ugh! I need to stop thinking about this! It only served to stress me out further. I swung my legs off of my bed, causing my covers to crumple to the floor in a warm heap. The majority of my clothes were cleverly thrown over one of my chairs, and I just plucked a shirt off of the top of the pile without any thought. I stooped down to snag a pair of pants that were sleeping on the floor, and grabbed a pair of briefs from my drawer. (At least I have some decency to put away my underwear, jeez!)

The shower was hot and relaxing, instantly making me less physically tense. The water felt so nice… why can't thoughts just wash away like that? I know it's only been a day, but I would have hoped that my mind would stop thinking about it even for a little bit.

I sighed and reached for the shampoo bottle, occupying myself with scrubbing my tangled tufts. In truth, I think the reason why I was concentrating so hard on washing my hair was because I was trying to ignore my stupid _friend_ that was getting thoroughly soaked behind me, thus starting to weigh it down.

I rinsed the bubbles out of my hair and just stood there for a few moments, just letting the cascade fall over my bangs. In truth, the longer I was staying under the spray the more fidgety and uncomfortable I got. Dammit, if it weren't for that stupid thing the shower would have actually been relaxing. Instead, it just served to remind me of just one more thing that changed that night…

I craned my neck around to stare at my water-logged appendage. The long fur at the end was being pulled down with the torrent and adding a dragging weight at the end, making it increasingly uncomfortable; I should probably move it out of the stream.

Without even thinking about it, it seemed to listen to my silent command as it suddenly flicked to the left and out of the water. It just hung there, dripping. I huffed silently; so it responds when I don't think about it but won't when I want it to on purpose?

I stared at it with distaste, but I couldn't help my increasingly curiosity. I turned my neck so I was looking over my other shoulder, and again, without really thinking, it crossed the stream and ended up on the other side. Huh, it felt like I was moving my arm or something – I didn't really think about it, but rather just conveyed what I wanted it to do and it did it.

I couldn't help let the satisfied huff escape my nose. Ha! I had finally gotten it to obey me! "Freakin' finally…" I thought as I grabbed a sponge. I started scrubbing the dirt off of my arms and legs and washed the blood that was left to crust on my torso, the blood that soaked through my shirt. I stared at the water as it swirled in dull colors around my feet into the drain.

Nothing really went through my head as I watched the last physical remains disappear. For a second I contemplated whether or not I should wash my tail, but I didn't even want to mess with it at the moment. Hell, I didn't even want to _think_ about it right now.

The cascade of hot water abruptly shopped as I pulled down the handle and stepped out. Grabbing the closest towel, I slowly wrapped it around my waist, staring at the mirror. My bangs hung limp in front of my dull cerulean eyes. I kept my gaze focused on my eyes, but I could still see my pointed ears sticking out of my navy-blue hair, which was made black from the water.

Despite being dull, void of emotion, they burned blue. Impossible blue.

They were as blue as… the flames…

They were the eyes of a monster.

Sighing, I ruffled most of the water out of my hair with a smaller towel after I pulled on a pair of shorts and a shirt. I trudged out of the bathroom, my black tail dripping behind me, creating little rain-puddles on the floor.

The rice balls were still sitting on the bed, left completely untouched. As I sat down on the bed, some of the rice balls shifted, and a few of the tiny little black demons quickly floated away, having hid between the food. I watched them as they released high-pitched squeals and zig-zagged through the air.

I closed my eyes. Right. I could see them now.

The squealing from one of the little demons picked up and got louder. Slowly I glanced up, only to find it bouncing right between my eyes.

_ "__Prince!"_

I jolted. Had… had it just said prince? But I didn't _hear _anything; I was certain of that. The same stoic hum had remained in the room this entire time.

_ "__Prince!" _It quipped again, and only then did I figure out that the voice was resonating within my own head, but was undoubtfully coming from the little demon.

_ "__Prince! Prince!" _My jay clenched as that terrible title was repeated again and again.

Only seen as a flash of black, my furry appendage whipped up from where it was resting on my covers and quickly swiped at the little demon, causing it to disappear in a puff of black smoke. It's last word resonated within my head long after it was gone.

_ "__Demon."_

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**Please review and let me know what you think! If any of you have any plot ideas, anything you would like to see,or if anyone has their own theories on what happened during this time, feel free to share! Bouncing ideas off of others and working it in with mine is something I would say I'm pretty good at:) If I like your contribution, I will for sure give you credit! **


	7. Plea to Readers!

Hello my followers! Sorry this isn't an update, but please do read this! I am having writers block with the story right now and need some help! I will probably get out of this funk but it may be a while, so if anyone has any ideas for the story I would love them! If everyone is a bunch of hermits, I understand, but there might not be an update in a little bit until I can think of more material. Normally, I would have no problem thinking of something, but since I am trying to have this story stick very close to the canon and not veer into any AU's, thinking of ideas that would be both eventful _and_ land the characters in the same place that they were in the start of chapter 3 in the manga is kinda tricky.

I will probably write another one that would be an AU where I can be more broad and fluid with; one where I can broadly expand my ideas. :D But for this one, I want it to stay as close to the real one as possible. (But if I don't think of something, this may have to be an AU.)

I have been trying to think of more ideas this past week, (I think I had one last night but I can't remember it! DX) so until I come up with one, there won't be an update soon. So sorry!

But on a better note, I have had this funny plot bunny stuck in my head for about a month, so that might get published soon:P

So anyways, thank you all for following this story and thank you so much for reading it and sending reviews! It really means a lot that people actually like the story (which is the main reason why I am blowing smoke out of my ears trying to think of more ideas for this one.) Maybe I should put a notebook by my bed...

So for ideas! What do _you _think happened to Rin during this time? Is there anything that keeps dancing around in your head that you want to see come to life? I just need like a simple idea that I can work with, because if I just have an _idea_, then I can mold it into almost anything.

(Oh, side-note! I'm a beta reader now! If you know anyone who needs a beta or if you need one yourself, click on my profile and look at my beta page to see the qualifications I work with!)

Thank you in advance to those who respond to my plea! I am sticking to my promise that this story will not be abandoned until it is finished!


	8. Chapter 7 - Mishap

**AN: There really isn't an excuse for my late update. What has it been, like months now? Yeah… sorry about that… But I didn't abandon this story! I am true to my word on that! I thank all of you who have followed and favorite this story! (So little side notes, I wrote a short-ish One Piece one-shot about Luffy and the first time he saw his scar from Marineford (major-ass spoilers for those who haven't gotten that far btw.) I also updated Chapter 1 of this story like I said I would:D Check it out!) I would like to thank Xiandao a lot for providing me with a little insight to Japanese funerals:) And I would also like to thank snowy1219 (who I suppose could be considered the indirect co-writer of this story:P) for your brilliant ideas! (Oh, and I kept a notebook beside my bed, and ideas galore!) Thank yooooooou!**

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I was slowly working on drying my fluffy tail, getting upset when little hairs were pulled, which made me wince. Frustrated, I dropped the towel to the ground, intentionally ignoring the little black hairs that twirled in the air like funny little cotton candy strings. I sighed heavily, staring at my door. This atmosphere is making me feel like I'm frozen in an ice block, the air smells like antiseptics and ash, and everyone is oddly quiet. So in short, I need to get out of the house.

After making sure my wallet was clipped to my pants, and that there was money in it (I did NOT want to live through another episode where I had to leave all of my ingredients at the store all because I forgot money,) I swiftly jumped out of the window, not wanting to confront anyone right now. But I _did _leave a curtesy note.

* * *

Nagato lightly knocked on Rin's door, slightly concerned that he hasn't even heard the floor creak in over an hour. Twisting the knob gently, he lowly called out. "Rin?"

The room was empty and there was no movement other than a half-sheet of paper that flapped in the wind from the open window.

Nagato sweat-dropped. _Of course he had to go through the window…_

Moving the eraser that held the piece of paper in place, he managed to make out the raven's chicken scratch:

_Went for food. Don't cook. –Rin_

"He could at least _tell _us when he wants to make dinner…" The priest muttered under his breath. Then, over his shoulder, he yelled, "Oi! Turn off the water! Rin's cooking tonight!"

A distant, "Hai!" was heard as he shut the window and locked it, all the while smirking to himself. _You're gonna have to show your face eventually, Rin._

* * *

Dusk was slowly overtaking the remaining light of the sun, leaving the majority of the streets to be lit up by the lamp posts and shop lights. It was becoming cold enough where I could start to see my breath, so I wasn't planning on staying out too late. Besides, the hems of my pants were starting to get wet from the leftover rainwater that still sat in little pools on the sidewalks. I made sure to keep my hood up (to cover my pointed ears) and my jacket zipped up as tight as I could allow (God forbid that my tail makes a random surprise appearance.)

I shifted my tail a little around my waist, which was becoming itchy in places thanks to little random tufts of fur that stuck up (akin to the hair on my head.) Maybe I should brush it…

The lights from the inside of the store burned my eyes, and I had to squint lest everything look like it was white-washed. Damn, it almost instantly gave me a headache. I didn't have a problem with the light outside or the candles in the monastery, so why should this be any different?

_Is buuuuuurns! _Instantly I knew the little squeal came from a demon. Ever since that night, the noises of these little pests started to become so common I had started to regard them as background noise.

Hastily looking up, I caught sight of a coal tar buzzing away from the lights on the ceiling, clearly dazed. As soon as it caught sight of the receding light from outside, it proceeded to make a bee-line for it, curling and flipping over people's heads, desperate to reach outside. I rubbed my forehead. So coal tars think these lights are blinding, too? _I feel you, little guy, _I thought longingly, looking outside. Maybe this trip will have to be cut a little short…

I trudged over to the fridges and fresh produce, vaguely aware that there was an ever-occurring noise following me. I hardly even needed to strain my ears to tell they were footsteps. Because of the noise they made (light quick pats) I could guess they belonged to kids.

I grumbled to myself. _Maybe if I ignore them they'll go away…_

But as soon as I spotted the fresh produce, I froze, and my irritation dissipated like water on hot stones. Everything was so… beautiful! These had to have been picked not hours before! The peppers and tomatoes had not even the slightest wrinkle on them! Wow, what I was planning on making tonight was going to be awesome! I quickened my pace a little bit, now unaware that the little footsteps (were there two pairs?) were still following me and that my tail had loosened from my waist.

"Hahaha! Just my luck! Yakisoba ingredients on sale!"

And that's when things started to get ugly.

Through my excitement, my little furry friend decided it was high time to make an appearance, happily waving behind me without my knowledge. The little bastard became so… natural that I didn't even realize that it was out in the open…

…and that the two little kids were staring at it, mesmerized.

Even though I could still hear them, the words were filed away to the back of my mind, unprocessed:

"Whoa, look! A tail! Do you think it's a mecha?" A young boy.

"No way, baka! Those are only available for the upety-ups!" A young girl – his sister, maybe?

"Shut up, teme! Maybe he has the cash, you never know! It looks real to me!" The little boy then said in a hushed voice to the girl. "I wanna touch it!"

She let out a little gasp. "Are you kidding? What if we break it?"

The little boy just giggled. "We won't break it! He won't even know! It's not like they put sensors on mechas yet, anyways!"

The little girl just squeaked. "Only if I hold your hand!"

A sigh. "Jeez, okay, okay!"

The little footsteps sounded like they were coming a little closer, but I wasn't paying attention in the slightest. However, the hairs on the back of my neck started to itch, like I was sensing upcoming danger. I just scratched away the itchy feeling – what was there to be afraid of at the grocery store, anyways? I was probably just paranoid about what had happened within the past few days…

Tail swishing angrily, I went back to sifting through ingredients.

Wait, tail?

Oh, _shi-_

_Whack! _I felt my tail hit something solid before I reached back as quickly as I could and caught the fucker mid-air before it could swoop in for a second blow. Glancing down, I could see that the ends of the hairs on the fluffy tip were electric blue.

_"Tsu-nii!" _ A little girl shrieked. I turned around quickly, dropping everything in my hands and roughly shoving the black appendage back in my shirt. She was kneeling on the ground with her hands lightly and quickly tapping the little boy's face, who was starting to blink and open his eyes.

I quickly approached them. "Oh, my God! Are you two oka-"

_"Stay back!" _ She squealed, clutching her dazed (and a little singed) brother to her chest. "We're sorry! Please, please! We didn't mean it, we're sorry! Please, just go away!"

"What the hell is going on!?" An older man came barreling around the corner but stopped mid-breath, trying to process the scene in front of him.

"_Jii-chan!" _ The little girl cried out, snapping the man out of his stupor. He quickly rushed forward, scooping up the dazed boy from the ground.

His aura pulsed murder, and his voice was as hard as steel. "Who the hell did this?" He dared, his livid eyes coming to rest on my red face as I stood wide-eyed, trying to form words on my tongue (which acted more like a hunk of meat.) He was in my face in an instant. "It was you, _wasn't it?_" He spat. I could feel the heat of his breath on my face.

By now the majority of the store had gathered around the fresh produce, trying to see what was going on. The pudgy store manager was even standing there in front of the crowd, deciding what to do.

The man's attention was solely on me while he clutched his grandchild, the little girl in turn clutching the hem of his pants, her face buried in the fabric. "Listen here, you _demon_." That one word sent a spike of fear, pain, sadness, and most of all, hatred through my heart. Not hatred at the man, mind you, but at myself, at my _existence_. "You better get the _hell _out of here before I call the cops, and that is the gods' damn truth! You hear me?!"

I quivered on the spot, horrified at what I had done. Numbly, I nodded.

I had never left a store so quickly in my entire life.

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**AN: Eh, a little short. I'll probably add more detail later when I think of it:P Thanks for reading!**


	9. HELLO BITCHES

Why HEL. LO. Welcome back, minna! And mostly, WELCOME BACK, ME!

I first want to start off by saying THANK YOU to ALL of the people who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this little story of mine. I would also like to thank all of my recent reviewers and followers who made me get my ass into gear to work on finishing this damn thing!

THAT'S RIGHT! IT WILL BE FINISHED!

When? Soon I hope.

I have the next weeks off of work so that seems like the perfect time to work on it, yeah? I am going to re-read it first then work on finding my notepage of ideas that I had for upcoming chapters. While I re-read it I will also look for spots I can beef up and add more content to.

Again, ARIGATO! And GOMEN NASAI for taking this long!

PEACE! Sora;P


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